Hudson Defeats an Irresponsible Amendment that Would Cripple National Guard Recruitment

Press Release

U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) led a bipartisan coalition on the House floor to beat back a misguided amendment that would prohibit the National Guard from sponsoring professional motorsports. The amendment was offered to the National Defense Authorization Act.

"The success of the National Guard using professional motorsports to recruit and retain our brave men and women in uniform has been proven and well-documented," said Hudson. "Ninety percent of the Army National Guard soldiers who enlisted or re-enlisted from 2007 to 2013 said they had been exposed to the Guard through recruiting or retention materials featuring NASCAR. When you have some of the most patriotic sports fans watching a race, and you've got a star like Dale Jr. who's wearing "National Guard' on his jumpsuit on TV, you can't put a price on that return on investment. To end such a beneficial program would be absolute foolishness."

Since 2007 when the Department of Defense first began their use of professional sports sponsorships for recruiting purposes, they have added more than 400,000 new soldiers. The National Guard's sponsorship with NASCAR, for example, allows them to leverage the largest American spectator sport with a loyal fan base of over 75 million people. The defeated amendment offered by Rep. Betty McCollum sought to bar the military from spending money on sports sponsorships altogether.

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